Chapter 7: Blind Faith

Amen. Yeah. In the name of Allah, the most merciful and kind, you are about to listen to an audio representation of the life of the Prophet Muhammad. It does not replace a thorough studying of his life. Now, sit back and enjoy the show. Chapter seven Blind Faith Nucleus. Caesar of the Roman Empire. was the most powerful man in the world. Shaw of the Persian Empire. But by simple definitions, there could be only one great empire to dominate the civilized realm.

Or so thought the Roman general, Marcus Crausus, when he attempted a simple expansion into Persian territory. Nothing out of the ordinary. After all, who could stand against the great Roman Empire? But the Romans had never seen the Persian Caraphracus before. Armored soldiers on armored horses. Krausus never stood. His army was slaughtered. Bloodied and humiliated, he was brought before the Persian Emperor.

You came to my empire for gold, I shall provide, he said, and molten gold was poured into Marcus Krausus's mouth. The Romans, unable to let such brutality go unpunished, declared total war against the Persians. For 700 years, Romans and Persians waged war. Constantinople and Tessaphon, Byzantines and Sasanians. Christians and Zoroastrians.

By the time Heraclius sat on the throne, his empire was exhausted and weak. Kisra, on the other hand, was just getting started. Sitting beneath a crown so large and heavy with ornaments. And jewels that it hung from the ceiling so as not to snap the neck of the wearer, the Persian Emperor gave his order. And in a land far away from both warring civilizations, a small town in the desert.

Desert, barely worth the trouble of conquering, for either Caesar or Kisro had just received earth-shattering news. People of Mecca, people of Mecca! News straight from the white palace of the Persian Emperor. Oh boy, everyone get ready. Now that Ibn Hadith has some news, what is it this time? The army of Kisra has defeated the Romans. Wait. What do you mean defeated? Wiped them out, destroyed, completely decimated them.

Emperor Heraclius, Caesar of Rome, is now reportedly on the run. Here is a list of cities captured by the Persians. Damascus, Nazareth, Emessah, Tarsus. I've been telling everyone to invest in Persian coins. But nobody ever listens to all that mess. Now everyone's coming to me for dead almonds. Heheh, I heard they took the cross of Jesus all the way to the Persian capital. So much for Christianity. We should send a delegation to Tesaphon and congratulate Kisla on his victory.

Always a good idea to rub the winner's back. So momentous was the occasion of the Roman defeat that nobody in Mecca could talk about anything else. Abu Bakr, what a surprise to see you come to work! I would have thought you'd be at home crying. Why would I be crying, but I have fabric to sell. Oh, so you're gonna play dumb, huh? Your Christian friends got wiped out. Turns out Jesus wasn't all that he was cracked up to be.

You Muslim rebels must feel real stupid. Oh sir, I dropped my god. So Jesus, peace be upon him, was a messenger of Allah like Muhammad. He believed in one God, as we do. Yeah.

Well, doesn't look like being a believer in one God did the Romans any good. The Persians are fire worshippers, and they still beat'em. They will return victorious. عباية بن خلف's eyes shot open at Abu Bakr Hehehe Are you out of your mind? The Persians did'em dirty. They took half their empire. They ain't never coming back from this. As unlikely as it may seem, Allah has spoken.

He revealed new verses of the Quran to his messenger. The Romans shall be victorious in a few years. You're a chump, Abu Bakr. There's no way. They don't got a chance. Your messenger is playing you the fool. Allah knows the unseen and the future. They will be victorious. Oh go catch a mirage for me, why don't ya? So sure are you?

I put a herd of red camels on it. Are you a betting man, Ubay? If and I was. Then you would stand by your word. Abu Bakr and Ubei stood nose to nose, eyes locked. You getting fresh with me? You've done nothing but call my religion a sham and my book a lie. So stand by your claim. I believe the Romans shall prevail because Allah said they will. Do you believe otherwise, Obayim Bahal?

Like I believe the sun will rise tomorrow. How much will you bet? Ube was startled by Abu Beka's determination. He licked his teeth. Alright, Benutain, I see your game. Ten camels on the Romans biting the dirt forever. I accept your gamble. Talha? Yes Abu Bakr. Please note that our neighbour in the Suh has made a bet against Allah and His Messenger in the amount of ten camels.

Um all right, what's your gamble? The Romans shall be victorious against the Persians in a few years, and on that day the believers shall rejoice in the victory of Allah. But few others in Mecca had any confidence in the Romans. The talk of the town could even be heard right next to the Kaaba, where Naldar ibn Hadith was boasting about his diplomatic connections. His crown really is that big, I've seen it myself. Another, do you think we should build a fire temple in Mecca?

Maybe that will make the Lakman Arabs do pilgrimage here. You know, Avitnes, that's not a bad idea. I shall write to the governor in Bahrain. I'm just so happy to see a religion so similar to ours succeed. Ahmed ibn Hisham approached the group. Abul Haikam, welcome old friend. We were discussing the good news, though I can't say it was unexpected. I'm quite familiar with the Emperor's intelligence, so his victory was only a matter of time, if I'm being honest.

Yeah, and Wah Hakim, did you know that Nutter studied in Persia? I always knew he was smart, but wow. Do you fools really think this is good news? Well, I can't see how it's bad news. The Persians have always been softer on us, unlike those self righteous Christians. Would you like to grab a white and save your Jesus Christ? The Romans weren't always Christian, you know. In fact, they used to have many mighty gods like us: Jupiter, Apollo, Neptune, a whole pantheon.

Wow, you're so smart, Abu Hakem. Don't interrupt. Yeah, they had a mighty empire and were feared by all. But somewhere along the line they lost their way and abandoned the gods of their fathers. They gave up their pantheon and settled for a dead man on a cross. And now look at them. Pathetic and weak. Yes, yes. Quite fascinating. Fascinating? The same thing is happening to us as we speak. Let me ask you a question.

Does Muhammad not come here and rub his unworthy nose in the dirt when he is among you? Yeah. Well, yes. Well I, for one, am not going to allow our tribe to become the next Roman Empire. All right, so what are you going to do about it?

I swear by Lat and Uzzah that when he comes to pray, I will step on his neck and smear dust in his face. Abu Hakam. You wouldn't. Oh, yes, I would. Well, here is your chance. Over by the Kaaba, the Rasul, peace be upon him, raised his hands to initiate his prayer. Gentlemen, watch this. Ahmed ibn Hisham tiptoed over to where the Prophet, peace be upon him,

upon him was now bowing towards the direction of Jerusalem. He looked over his shoulder at Rukba, Nadir, and El Achnas. They were snickering and winking at him He quickened his pace towards Muhammad, who was now prostrating on the ground, with his nose and forehead to the floor. Amar's heart was accelerating. From underneath his cloak he pulled out a heavy rock he had been concealing. Today was going to be the end of his problems, he thought.

He was almost at Muhammad. He was breathing heavily. Beads of sweat trickled down the side of Amr's head. But something was wrong. Every step he took seemed to take him farther away from Muhammad. Vision swirled. Suddenly the ground ripped open in front of him like a wound. Black smoke spewed out. Amr staggered, his legs suddenly feeling boneless. The wound tore open to reveal a bright orange ditch of fire. A wild tangle of

Wings made of flames unfurled from the ditch as it expanded. Ahmed ibn Hisham feared he would fall as the ground beneath his feet seemed to be sucked into the inferno. What's the matter with him? Amiribn Hisham dropped the rock and fell onto his back. Crawling backwards on his hands as quickly as he could. The ditch got bigger and bigger. I need to consume it! all the fire and wings, a great beast emerged. camel with red eyes and foam dripping from its razor sharp teeth.

Ahmed ran as fast as he could, not daring to look back lest he be eaten by the monster. Where are you going? Whatever happened to stepping on his neck. Drasul, peace be upon him, finished his prayer. The terrifying camel trotted over to him and lowered its head. Jibril resumed his angelic form, as did all the other angels, the nineteen guards of hellfire, fled. If he came any closer to you, we would have snatched him away. Peace by peace. The Rasul, peace be upon him, gave his thanks.

For although he was not the most powerful man in the world, his protector was El Aziz, and he was powerful over all things. A few days later, a traveller dismounted his camel and approached the massive tent erected at the entrance of one of Mecca's valleys. At the opening of the tent stood a colossal figure. Traveler, who do you seek? My name is Murira ibn Shuaba. I represent the Benu Thaqib. I'm here to speak to Ahmed ibn Hisham. Yes!

Yes, I'm here. Welcome, young man. I hope you had a pleasant trip. Blessed morning. It was all right. Pretty boring, honestly. Oh, I can't imagine. Hey, Omar, go take a break. I'll show our guest around. As you wish, Uncle Ahmed ibn Hisham rubbed his hands nervously. So I'm sure you're eager to see the shrine of Lat. We've been working on it for a few days now, and I'm sure your clan will love it. Great. Let's see it. Well, you just arrived.

I figured maybe I could show you the guest lodging where your family will be staying. Nah. The Benuthelief sent me to make sure everything's set. Might as well get that out of the way, don't you think? Come on, friend, what's the hurry? My tribe is concerned about this year's hedge. They sent me here early to inspect. So let me inspect. I assure you

Everything is in excellent condition. Murira ibn Sharba stepped past Amer and entered the tent and was met with a chaotic scene. Two dozen people were yelling over each other, while Abu Sufyan waved his hands irritably, trying to calm them down. A ten-foot-tall statue of the goddess Net was erected in the center of the tent, with a wide wooden offering table at its feet. Yeah, looks like everything's in excellent condition.

Ahmed ibn Hisham tried to stop grinding his teeth. Abu Sufian was still attempting to silence the mob. Alright, alright, one at a time. One at a time. I can't answer when you're all speaking at once. You told us that you were going to take care of Muhammad months ago. It's Dol Hidja. He's going to scare away the pilgrims. We are working with the chief. Субтитры сделал DimaTorzok Society! What a load of well wash. Hey, watch yourself, obey!

No, you're letting him walk around yapping about our gods. How am I supposed to sell anything to the pilgrims? He's gonna embarrass us in front of all the That's right, Ukba. Everyone, please! I understand you're all worried. I have a business to run too, but you need to trust that the Quraysh have a plan to handle the Hajj, and we will do everything possible. Listen. Shem took off his cloak and marched over to the crowd.

He stepped through, ignoring Abu Sufian. He had the expression of one who was utterly fed up. He climbed up on the wooden offering table at the bottom of the idol vet. Everyone fell silent, watching him apprehensively. Murira ibn Shaaba, the inspector from Ben U Thaqiv, approached the corner of the table. Ahmed ibn Hisham rose up over the heads of the onlookers. We Ah Mecca I am Mecca He pointed to the statue of Lat. That

He is my God. My gods are known. Lat and Uzza, Hubal and Manaf. I can see them and feel them. Every Arab from here to Yemen knows this sacred house. Yeah, yeah, that's right. No matter what Muhammad says, no matter what lies he spews, we are upon the truth.

I pledge my soul to my gods. What prevents you, my people? أمو حكم، أمو حكم، أمو حكم، أمو حكم، أمو حكم A Mahzumi man came running up to the idols, dragging a young woman by her arm. It's my slave girl. She's been bewitched by Muhammad. She won't bow to our gods. I've denied her food and water. I've caned her. I've ordered her to obey me. She won't listen.

Bring her forward Bring her forward No get off Slave Girl with Jostle towards Um There was a deep terror in her eyes Young lady what is your name? Don't be shy. Come on. Z... Zenira? Zenira. Is this your master? Zanira's eyes shifted quickly around the tent, as though looking for an escape. Muhira ibn Sharba stepped away from her as though she carried the plague. Zanira, look at me. Is it true you've become a rebel? I have accepted that there is only one God.

He's the creator of everything, and he has no daughters named Let or Ozza. You see, you see, she's completely insane. He's in now. Let's give her a chance to rectify herself. Now, young lady, it appears as though you've been misled. Your master has been good to you. Yes, he's denied you food, but that was for your own good. Look around!

Do you see Muhammad here helping you after you've accepted his delusions? I have not been misled. I believe in Allah. He's the Lord of the sacred house, not your statues. Though her voice was strong, her eyes still looked for a way out. Zanira, come now, young lady. I know you're just a slave and you don't have much intelligence. But are you going to believe in Muhammad's invisible guard over this? I I

Zanira, I'm trying to help you out. If you don't come back to our gods, well, something seriously unfortunate might happen. She looked around at the angry faces and sealed her fate. I will not go back to your false gods. Something sinister manifested on Amir ibn Hisham's face. Alright. Fine. Bring her up. I said, bring her up! The mob began his and are onto the off of the table. No! Get off of me! Get off of me!

Today, I'm going to teach you all how to honor your gods. He pulled a knife out and made a cut on Zanira's hand, dropping blood onto the table. For you, my dear goddess. I present the worthless soul of a heretic for you to consume. kicked Zanila in her stomach, dropping her onto her back. He took off his shirt to reveal his bare torso. This is an example of an animal that should have been buried at birth. The wretched that doesn't know her own master. No, no! Shall we do with this love?

Witch! Beat her! Burn her! Slice her head off! He stepped on her wrists as she began to cry. I can't hear you! What shall we do with someone who insults your gods? Make her see make her see she was wrong Make her see Make her see she doesn't deserve to see in the night The name of the... Daughters of Allah, I curse her eternally. She's. Among you repulsive and damned. Make her see. If she can't see the greatness of our gods, then she doesn't deserve to see anything at all.

He lunged on Zeniro, punching her brutally in the eye. He waved his bloody fist at the crowd, showing off her blood. Look at that! You see that? He licked his fist and spat on Zaniro before lunging on her once more. Blood and yellow pus splattering all over the place. Aldea Ibn Schraba looked horrified. عمر بن هشان

Nira over his head. Her eyes were completely disfigured by his assault. This is how we deal with Muslims. He held her in front of him by the collar of her shirt and shook her violently. You still have something to say to me? Say to me, huh? My gods have blinded you, Zanira. My gods have rendered you a useless blind freak of nature! No. Urlet. And Az are even more powerless than me. They cannot harm me. Only Allah can take away my sight. And if he wants, he can give it back.

His face went blank. Blood dripped down his face and beard. He looked utterly stunned. He flung her across the tent. Her limp body landed right at the feet of two people who had just entered the tent.

Abu Bakid and the Prophet, peace be upon him. Everyone be careful! He could use magic on any one of us. Everyone rushed behind Ahmed ibn Hisham, as though he could protect them from the Prophet. The Prophet, peace be upon him,'s face. usually pleasant and merciful, showed anger. Abu Beka knelt by Zanira's unconscious form. Abu Hakam, what have you done? Nobody should call him Abu Hakam, the prophet exclaimed, glaring at the blood soaked man.

Anyone who calls him Abu Hakam has made a serious mistake, he said. He barely raised his voice, but it silenced everyone. The Prophet peace be upon him had recently given Ahmed ibn Hisham a new kunya. Abu Jahil The father of ignorance You have something to say to me? The Prophet peace be upon him stepped forward, unafraid of Abu Jahil. Why don't you accept Islam and believe me as the Messenger of Allah, he said. Why don't you stop cursing our gods, Muhammad? You want to answer that for me?

Are you gonna stop cursing our gods? The Prophet, peace be upon him, tried calling him to Islam. If you want us to testify that you have fulfilled your mission, we will testify for you. And if I knew that you were telling the truth, I would have already followed you. But you can't provide any evidence. Face it, Muhammad. You're nothing but a fake and a fraud. I shall buy her.

Everyone looked over at Abu Bakr, still kneeling by the blinded Zeniro. I said I shall buy her. You have no use for her, right? Woe to you, let me buy her. Fine, fine. You can buy her. I don't want a rebel as a slave anyways. Drasul, peace be upon him, and Abu Jahil continued to glare at each other, while Abu Bakr made the trade and tried helping her up. Careful, sister. The two of them turned to leave. Notar ibn Hadith was furious.

So that's it, we're just going to let him go. Abu Hakam, he's the problem. He's the reason for all of this. He calls you Abu Jahil. We should kill him and his stupid friend Abu Bekir too. The crowd was slowly encircling the Prophet and Abu Bakr. Uqba ibn Abi Ma'it grabbed the Prophet's turban and yanked his head back. I say let's grab him! The tent descended into chaos. Several people began manhandling the Prophet.

Tried wrestling himself free. Then several more men rushed into the town. Get back, you coward! Get back! The Prophet, peace be upon him, was freed and pulled back by his uncle Abbas. He saw Hamza bark at Uqba and obey. Who shrank back in fear? Back off! Back off! I'll kill you if I have to. The Benu Hashem had entered the tent. Standing in front of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

Guarding him, even the elderly Abu Talib swung his cane wildly at the mob. Woe to you! Woe to you! Touch my nephew and its swords! You hear me? Death upon you all! What in the name of Yaruth and Yaruk are you doing? Rokhba threw the prophet's turban on the ground. We were um we were just um They provoked us, Sayed Walid. We were defending ourselves.

محمد is under the protection of Abu Talib, you fools! Do you wish to enter war with Abu Hashim? Do you desire swords at your necks? Keep your mongrel pop in check, Waleed! We're ready for all of you, ladies. So who wants to die first? The Prophet peace be upon him had Jafar to one side of him and Akil to another. Not a man moved. Hamza had his palm on the handle of his sword, ready to draw it. His bulging muscles made even Abu Jahil weary.

What did you say, you old fool? We have made every attempt to keep your nephew in check. But if you do not silence him, we will. What I say to that, the Arabic language fails to produce words vile enough to answer you, Alied. But let me make this abundantly clear to you ignorant folks. The hand that touches my nephew will be promptly sliced off.

With that, Abu Talib sharply turned and exited the tent with the rest of the Ben U Hashim, escorting the Prophet out. Call me Abu Jal again! I dare you! Calm him! I dare you, Muhammad! Abu Jahil, shirtless and bloody, crashed onto the floor. Murira ibn Shaaba, the guest from Ta'aif, was shocked beyond words at what he just witnessed. You know something?

I actually believe everything he says. You what? You believe in Muhammad? Sure I do. He's pretty damn honest, and everything he says makes sense. But I'm not gonna let the Benu Hashem take credit for having a profit. I can't accept that. Hey, um Ukba. Yeah. Can you grab me a drink?

The Prophet, peace be upon him, was dazed as his uncles escorted him back to the city. He had never seen Abu Talib so angry before. Not since the Black Stone incident had he seen the Quraysh so close to war, And it was all because of him. They approached Abu Talib's home. His heart sank. Abu Lehab was standing by the entrance. Look who decided to bring the troublemaker.

Abu Talib Najdar Rasul, peace be upon him, who sat under the house's pavilion. Wait here. The rest of the family entered. And that's when the screaming started. I do not want to hear a word from you. You would sell your own children. He never intended to cause so much harm to his family. The image of Zaniro's disfigured eyes kept flashing in his head.

He shuddered. Hamza exploded out of the house, his face dark. That's right, Hamza. Run away. Go drink and hunt and act like a stupid child. That's what you always do. The Prophet peace be upon him remembered the days when his family could gather together over food and talk and laugh. Even Abu Lahib had liked him back then. If you're suggesting we surrender Muhammad to those Shayafin, you might as well leave him.

All of this was for Islam, all of it was for Allah. But Rasul, peace be upon him, had never expected to see the people he knew his entire life turn so savage and monstrous. All for Allah. Suddenly, Zubair ibn Awan turned the corner. He had the sword Hamza had gifted him previously raised, ready to kill. Then he saw the Rosul. محمد dropped the sword and ran to the Rasul, peace be upon him, and embraced him. He was nearly crossed. الحمد لله you're alive

Zubaid released the prophet ever so slightly. I heard they killed you! Everyone was saying. The Rasul, peace be upon him, comforted Zubair, and felt his heartbeat slow down gradually. The Rasul, peace be upon him, hadn't been able to see his cousin Zubair in a long time. His Aunt Sophia had taken every opportunity to prevent her son from getting anywhere near him, when she wasn't nearly smoking him to death, that was. Um I really thought something bad happened to you.

Zubayid picked up his sword off the ground. The prophet, peace be upon him, eyed it with amusement. What were you going to do with that? the prophet asked. I swear by Allah I was going to take revenge on all the people of Mecca. The Prophet peace be upon him smiled and prayed for Zubair. His loyalty to the Prophet was comfortable. Almogotab, you're gonna have to convince him. I love him as much as you do, but if he keeps this up, he will die. It's not good, is it? The prophet's smile faded.

My mom keeps saying you're pulling her clan into war. Nofell says the only solution is to kill you. But I won't let that happen. I'll die before someone hurts you. Fine, then you go talk to him. But when he doesn't listen to you, then don't come crying to us when you find him in a bloody ditch! Abu Lahib and Abbaz stormed off past the Prophet, peace be upon him. Abu Lahib didn't even look at him. Abbaz shook his head sadly.

The Prophet peace be upon him had always considered Abas like an older brother of the But now it felt as if that relationship was tainted. His cousin Akil gestured to Mohammed to explain. The Prophet looked back at Zubair one last time, whose eyes gave a sad goodbye.

The Prophet peace be upon him stepped gently inside, his heart disintegrated into a million pieces when he saw his uncle Abu Talib sitting on the floor cushion, with his hand over his eyes. He had never seen him so broken before. My nephew, what am I to do? What am I to do? His face was red. His frail hand shook over his staff. Muhammad, I am an old man. A poor old man who can barely care for his own children.

All I want in my last years is to see my family prosper, to see you safe and successful. This all this Islam business I support you fully, Muhammad. You know I do. You can worship whatever god you want, but the Quraysh. يونه ذا محلق They don't like to be told they're wrong. They keep complaining to me that you're irritating them. Why don't you just leave them alone, my nephew?

Be a Muslim in your own home. I'm an old man and I can't protect you from them much longer. I do not want to see you hurt. The Prophet's eyes welled up with tears. He leaned forward, taking his uncle's hands gently in his own, and softly kissed his knuckles. Abu Talib had raised him after the deaths of his parents and grandfather.

He had grown up in this humble home, alongside Talib, Aqil, and Ja'far. Hamza had been like a brother to him. Abu Talib was the closest thing he had ever had to a father, and his wife, Fatima bint Asad, was like a mother to him. Seeing Abu Talib in so much pain was unbearable to the Prophet. My beloved, I know you mean well, but sometimes we have to learn to accept our own limitations. Some people just won't change. No matter what you say to them.

Is it worth losing your life for this mission, Muhammad? Do you really want me of all people to attend your Janazah? Do not put me in a situation I cannot bear. Accept their offers, my nephew. Please give up this mission of yours. The Prophet peace be upon him wiped his tears and let go of Abu Talib's hands. He frowned. He pointed to the sun shining through the palm leaf roof. Do you see the sun, uncle? Yes.

I am no more capable of leaving this mission than you are of lighting your staff with a ray of the sun. I swear by Allah if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand, so that I would give up this mission. I would not give it up until Allah gives success to it, or I die in the process, the Prophet cried. He stood up. Abu Talib was stupefied.

The Prophet peace be upon him was not going to entertain giving up, no matter how much he loved his uncle or family or even his own life. He turned to leave. Muhammad He stopped at the threshold. Go forth, my nephew. I swear by Allah I will not ask you about this matter again. You will have my protection. Always. You're listening to the sound of Siro, brought to you by Islam by Touch.